Want to learn how to collect watches?

This is huge. Let's be straight, any watch can have emotional value (belonged to your grandfather) and/or monetary value (you buy it cheaper and hope to sell it with a boosted price after 10 days or 10 years).  Collectors may have many criteria when buying watches but every decision is based on this questions:

- Do I like the watch?

- Does this watch fit my wrist, personality and taste?

- Do I really need this watch (and not a different one)?

- Is it for collection or I intend to wear it every ...week?

- How much am I willing to pay for it?

- Does it hold its value in time? 

There are a lot of self-made gurus, dandy boys, creepy advisers out there to tell you what you should collect and what you shouldn't. I particularly dislike this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRTaEug7e2M 

I have just one piece of advice for you:

If you like it or need it buy it, but always motivate your decision! Don't rush, do your research, learn more about your needs and desires! Take into account that you may loose money or interest in that watch you just bought. Hidden gems are rare...

First of all you need to decide what type of collector  you are: 

- value oriented (big brands, very collectible and sellable watches)

- emotional oriented (I like it, I buy it within your financial bracket) 

- brand/age oriented (vintage Orient only, vintage Omegas, Seiko SKX or Monsters)

- utility/design oriented (divers' watches, military watches, Casio G-Shocks) 

You may add other criteria such as: movement type (quartz, mechanical, automatic), price range/piece, place in your collection...

For example, in my divers' collection you can find no more than 10 watches (the number is limited): the cheapest one worth 100 USD and the most expensive one 8-900 USD, all automatic,...but I wear them by rotation and I have the courage to swim in the sea with any of them! So no, my collection is not value oriented (even if some of them may keep their values in time). 

It is your strategy! If you are not millionaire don't look for IWC, Patek Phillipe, Rolex...you don't need to sell a kidney for a watch! Be realistic!